SECTION THE THIRD PLANTING TREES AND SHRUBS: ALL that we propose, in this place, is to convey to our readers fome general ideas of PREPARING THE SOIL, ING THE PLANTS, TER PLANTING, CLEANING THE PLAN TATION, PRUNING THE YOUNG TREES, AND in order to avoid ufelefs repetitions, when we come to speak, separately, of each individual species; and to enable fuch of our readers as are wholly unacquainted with the fubject, to follow us through the ALPHABET OF PLANTS with a degree of eafe and fatisfaction to themfelves, which, without thefe previous inftructions, they would not be able to do. THE PREPARATION OF THE GROUND depends, in some measure, upon the fize of the plants. To fpeak generally upon the fubject - For plants under under four feet high, the foil ought to receive a double digging, or a fummer's fallow under the plow, or a crop of turnips well hoed; but, for larger plants, feparate holes, dug in the unbroken ground, are frequently made ufe of; though we cannot, by any means, recommend the practice. Trees and fhrubs never thrive better, than when they are planted upon made ground; for here the fibres rove at large, and the nearer the foil of a plantation is brought to the state of made ground; that is to say, the more it is broken, and the deeper it is dug; the greater probability there will be of fuccefs. Plants put in holes may thrive very well, while the fibres have loofe mold to work in; but, whenever they reach the firm unbroken fides of the pits, they will, except the foil be of a very rich loamy nature indeed, receive a check, which they will not overcome, for many years. The fize of the holes, whether in broken or unbroken ground, must be in proportion to the roots of the plants to be put in. For large nursery plants, the holes, in unbroken ground, fhould not be less than two feet deep; and for plants from four to eight feet high, the holes ought to be made from two to four feet diameter: the different ftrata fhould be kept feparate; laying the fod on one fide of the hole, the corn mold or foil on another, and the fubftratum on a third; and in this ftate they fhould lie fome weeks, before the time of planting. THIS, namely the TIME OF PLANTING, varies with the fpecies of plant, and with the nature of the foil. Plants, in general, may be fet out either in the autumn, or in the fpring. In a bleak fituation, the latter is generally preferable; provided the planting be not done too late. The latter end of February, and all March, is a very proper feafon for most plants: but where the scene of planting is extensive, every fit of open weather, during the fix winter months, fhould be embraced. Some plants, however, are partial to particular seasons : thefe peculiarities will be mentioned, in their proper places. Ir has been already intimated, that, when trees and fhrubs are planted out finally, their roots fhould be left UNPRUNED. It is ufual, and may be proper, to take off the bruifed and maimed parts; but even this fhould be done with caution. Their tops, however, require a different treatment. Forest trees, and other ftem plants, may in general be trimmed clofely; by which means the roots will be able to fend up a fufficient fupply of nourishment and moisture the first year, and thereby fecure the life of the plant: whereas, on the contrary, if a number of fide fhoots be left on, the quantity of leaves and fhoots becomes fo great, that the plant probably is ftarved, for want of that neceffary fupply. This renders the fuccefs of fhrubby Thrubby plants uncertain; and is an argument against their paffing through the nurfery; and, of course, in favor of their being moved (when practicable) from the feminary into the place in which they are intended to remain. A well rooted plant, however, if planted in a good mold and a moist season, will fupport a confiderable top; and there is a general rule for the pruning of plants: Leave them tops proportioned to their roots; for no doubt the larger the top, provided the root can fupport it, the quicker progrefs the plant will make: nevertheless, it is well to be on the fafer fide; a fure though flow progrefs is preferable to a dead plant, which is always a reflection upon the planter, and an unfightly incumbrance in the plantation. A judicious planter, while he trims his plants, will at the fame time SORT them: inftead of throwing them out of his hand into one heap, promifcuously, he will lay the weak ill rooted plants, in one place; the middle fort, in another; and the ftrong well rooted ones, in a third; in order that, when they are planted out, each plant may have a fair and equal chance of rifing; which, without this precaution, cannot be the cafe. We now come to the operation of PLANTING; which is guided, in fome meafure, by the fpecies of plantation. If the plants be large, and the plantation chiefly ornamental, they ought to be planted VOL. I. D out out promiscuously in the fituation in which they are intended to remain; but, if the plants be small, and the plantation chiefly useful, nursery rows ought generally to be preferred. For, in this manner, the tender plants give warmth to each other; the tranfition is lefs violent, than when they are planted out immediately from the nursery or feedbed, fingly, and at a distance from each other: the ground is more easily kept clean, than where the plants ftand in the random manner; befides, the intervals may, while the plants are young, be cropped with advantage: while the remainder of the intended plantation may be kept in an entire state of cultivation, until the plants acquire a confiderable fize; or, if the whole ground be ftocked in this nurfery manner, the fuperfluous plants may, in almoft any country, be fold to great profit. We do not recommend planting these nurfery plantations too thick; four feet between the rows and two feet between the plants are convenient distances; or, if the intervals be fet out exactly a quarter of a rod wide, namely, four feet one inch and a half, and the plants be put in at twenty-four inches and three quarters apart, the calculation of how many plants will be required for an acre, or any other given portion of ground, or, on the contrary, how much ground will be neceffary for a given number of plants, will be made eafy and certain. The method of putting in the |
